They work tirelessly all day under the harsh rays of a blazing sun, the stench of death and destruction around them. They are a team of Jewish heroes who are working around the clock with one mission: the recovery of human bodies.

The SA Friends of the Beit Halochem Zahal Disabled Veterans Organisation was established in Johannesburg in 1982, its primary goal being to help and support Zahal disabled veterans by raising funds to help them return and resume their normal lives as soon as possible.

There’s a popular weekly satirical show in Israel called Eretz Nehederet. In a recent episode, an actor playing Benny Gantz, the former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and newcomer to Israeli politics, is asked how he’s feeling.

Devotion to the cause of the State of Israel flourishes in the most unlikely places, even in societies where the Jewish presence is small to non-existent. Such is the case in Mozambique, where the work of Beth-El Associacao Crista Amigos De Israel - Mozambican Christian Friends of Israel - testifies to how much can be achieved by those inspired by their Christian faith to promote the Israeli cause, despite adverse conditions.

JNF’s unique “Blue Boy Box” now lives at King David Linksfield Pre-Primary so that children of each generation learn the importance of tzedakah (charity or welfare). It is the responsibility of Jews all over the world to build Israel, develop it and nurture it as the home of the Jewish nation

“Knowledge is Light” was our school motto when I was a child in Durban. The importance of education was made clear to us from as far back as I can remember. It wasn’t taken for granted. A good education was a privilege.

(JTA) Norwegian rapper not charged with hate speech
A Norwegian rapper who cursed Jews while performing at an event in Oslo promoting multiculturalism will not be charged with hate speech, because his words may have been criticism of Israel, prosecutors said.

Did Israeli soldiers violate international law by deliberately targeting unarmed children, journalists, health workers, and people with disabilities during the past year of violence along the Israel-Gaza border?

(JTA) After the New England Patriots beat the favoured Kansas City Chiefs to reach their third straight Super Bowl – their amazing ninth in less than 20 years – CBS sports analyst Boomer Esiason made an intriguing statement, namely that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

We are winging our way towards Human Rights Day (21 March), the first public holiday of the year, which coincides with Purim. I can’t help but wonder about our concept of human rights and what it means, not least of all, to our government.

President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed in parliament last week that South Africa intended to downgrade its diplomatic presence in Israel. The foreign affairs bureaucracy was working “feverishly” on the matter. “The decision to downgrade the embassy in Israel is informed precisely by the violation of the rights of Palestinians and we are therefore putting pressure on Israel. But at the same time, we are saying we are willing to play a role and ensure there is peace,” said Ramaphosa.

Undeterred, and in spite of the hate-filled disparagement that spewed forth when Shashi Naidoo uttered positive comments about Israel and Jews last year, Haafizah Bhamjee penned a reasoned and sensible article on Israel and the Palestinians in the SA Jewish Report of 22 February.

With Prince William’s historic visit to Israel this week, all eyes have been trained on the Jewish capital. It may have taken 70 years, but the first official visit by a member of the British Royal family began in Israel on Monday, when William, the Duke of Cambridge, arrived in Tel Aviv.

Some 5 600 emissaries (shluchim) from Chabad-Lubavitch from all over the world gathered at the Pier 8 warehouse in Brooklyn, New York this week for the opening of their four-day annual international conference and banquet, 75 years after the arrival of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, from Europe.

One of the questions that haunts the story of Purim and moves silently through the lines of the Megillah is clear and chillingly simple: How could Jews have chosen to remain in Persian Shushan? It was so clearly an environment in which anti-Semitism was so prevalent that a genocide could be planned and almost implemented without comment by broader society.

“The greatness of our nation is that our people are great. We are a nation of heroes, of people with good and decent moral fibre who will not tolerate our country being plundered!” So said Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein in Pretoria this morning.“This is a struggle for accountability and justice,” Goldstein told the crowd (which included prominent Jewish CEOs like Adrian Gore, Stephen Koseff and Michael Katz). “This struggle is about sovereignty. The power of the people always triumphs in the end.”

Wearing our blue and white

by
Jewish Report
| Apr 28, 2016

I love this time of the year in Israel. The country is transformed into a blue and white celebration as the roads are lined and national buildings festooned with Israeli flags. There is a festive atmosphere as many decorate their balconies with flags and of course, barbeques are sold out. This is all in preparation for the National Holidays.

My balcony – dressed and ready!

Israel is several thousand years old but the modern state was founded in 1948. She wears the lines of her history with grace and integrity and a certain sense of humour. At times this is punctuated with a deep sadness and if you look a little closer, sometimes you can see a tear in her eyes.

It is no coincidence that the national holidays fall very closely to each other. We are reminded of the pain of our past and the sacrifices of the many that ensure that we continue to live in our vibrant but flawed democracy. I love her flaws – like anyone who focuses on growth, Israelis engage in deep contemplation so that we can improve. There is nothing Israelis value more than life and this is demonstrated with such heart around these holidays.

This year, they are particularly poignant. Rising antisemitism around the world less than a century after the Holocaust which has resulted in violence and sometimes death is a stark reminder about the perils of not learning from history. On Yom Hashoa, Holocaust martyrs and heroes memorial day, Israelis will pause for a minute as the memorial sirens pierces our consciousness. Cars will come to a complete stop and we will bow our heads in silent memoriam. The tears flow freely and our hearts collectively break. But then the siren stops and we open our eyes and look at the country we have built. Built on miracles. Built on innovation. Built on blood, sweat and tears.

Israel’s citizens stop their cars and bow their heads.

And we will repeat this again the following week for Yom Hazikaron – Memorial Day for soldiers and victims of terror. This year, Israelis will feel this day a lot more acutely. We have endured a wave of terror for the last six months that has cost 34 people (including soldiers, 2 US nationals and a Palestinian) their lives and wounded countless others. Our army and security forces have been working around the clock to keep us all safe. We still feel vulnerable and here in Israel each civilian is family. Sure, we fight and argue amongst ourselves but when we lose one of our own the pain is unbearable! We never take for granted the sacrifices that our soldiers have made so that we can live in peace. On Yom Hazikaron we also remember victims of terror and there is hardly an Israeli family that hasn’t been touched by terrorism in some way. We all know or are related to someone who has been hurt and killed. The sirens will wail and we will remember.

We will remember them.

And then the whole mood of the country changes from one of somber memorial to the biggest celebration!

From the north to the south and everywhere in between, Israelis begin to celebrate! Israel erupts into a giant street party with fireworks, celebration, song and of course…..food!

The country wakes up the next day (some nursing hangovers) to the pervasive smell of al ha aish(braai) and many head to the beach and the forests to engage in a favourite pastime – eating! One of the most special moments is the annual fly over of the IAF featuring planes throughout our history.

Israel’s modern day history is entwined with the Jewish tenets of remembering the past, honouring the lost but never forgetting that which the most sacred of all …….LIFE!